Sen. Byron Dorgan announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election this year.

Washington (CNN) - North Dakota Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election in 2010.

"It is a hard decision to make after thirty years in the Congress, but I believe it is the right time for me to pursue these . . . interests," Dorgan said in a written statement announcing his decision.

The Democrat also said Tuesday that his decision had nothing to do with his prospects for re-election this year.

"[M]y decision has no relationship to the prospect of a difficult election contest this year. Frankly, I think if I had decided to run for another term in the Senate I would be reelected," Dorgan said.

Two well-respected, nonpartisan political reports, the Cook Political Report and the Rothenberg Political Report, had rated Dorgan's seat as safe in the 2010 elections, and Dorgan won re-election by a large margin in 2004.

North Dakota's other senator, Kent Conrad, is also a Democrat. Conrad predicted Tuesday that Dorgan's exit from the political stage was a temporary one. "Although Senator Dorgan is leaving the Senate at the end of 2010, I have a feeling that this will not be the last of his public service," he said in a statement. "It is my guess he will be on a short list of future Cabinet nominees to the Obama Administration in the coming years."

Some Republicans have urged the state's governor, John Hoeven, to mount a bid for the seat. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said Tuesday that Dorgan's decision "highlights just how vulnerable both Senate and House Democrats have become since deciding to walk in lockstep with President Obama's government-run policies...." he said in a statement. "While Senator Dorgan might be the first Democrat to announce his retirement this year, I predict he will not be the last" to bow out in 2010.

In the last two presidential elections, however, Republicans have won the state at the presidential level, with John McCain beating Barack Obama by eight percentage points in 2008 and George W. Bush winning North Dakota by 28 percentage points in 2004.

Updated: 7:10 p.m.

Dorgan's full statement:

STATEMENT BY U.S. SENATOR BYRON DORGAN
Tuesday, January 5, 2010

“Representing North Dakota in the U.S. Congress for nearly 30 years has been one of the great privileges of my life.

“The work I have been able to do to expand our economy, create new opportunities in energy and water development, invent the Red River Research Corridor with cutting-edge world class research, build a stronger safety net for family farmers and much more has been a labor of love for me.

“In recent years, becoming Chairman of key Senate Committees on Energy and Water, Indian Affairs, Aviation and more has given me much greater opportunity to help our state and country.

“For the past year, I have been making plans to seek another six-year Senate term in next year’s election. Those plans included raising campaign funds and doing the organizing necessary to wage a successful campaign.

“Even as I have done that, in recent months I began to wrestle with the question of whether making a commitment to serve in the Senate seven more years (next year plus a new six-year term) was the right thing to do.

“I have been serving as an elected official in our state for many years. Beginning at age 26, I served ten years as State Tax Commissioner followed by thirty years in the U.S. Congress by the end of 2010. It has been a long and wonderful career made possible by the people of North Dakota. And I am forever grateful to them for the opportunity.

“Although I still have a passion for public service and enjoy my work in the Senate, I have other interests and I have other things I would like to pursue outside of public life. I have written two books and have an invitation from a publisher to write two more books. I would like to do some teaching and would also like to work on energy policy in the private sector.

“So, over this holiday season, I have come to the conclusion, with the support of my family, that I will not be seeking another term in the U.S. Senate in 2010. It is a hard decision to make after thirty years in the Congress, but I believe it is the right time for me to pursue these other interests.

“Let me be clear that this decision does not relate to any dissatisfaction that I have about serving in the Senate. Yes, I wish there was less rancor and more bipartisanship in the U.S. Senate these days. But still, it is a great privilege to serve and I have the utmost respect for all of the men and women with whom I serve.

“It has been a special privilege to serve with Senator Conrad and Congressman Pomeroy, who do an outstanding job for our state. And although he inherited an economy in serious trouble, I remain confident that President Obama is making the right decisions to put our country back on track.
Further, my decision has no relationship to the prospect of a difficult election contest this year. Frankly, I think if I had decided to run for another term in the Senate I would be reelected.

“But I feel that after serving 30 years, I want to make time for some other priorities. And making a commitment to serve in the Senate for the next seven years does not seem like the right decision for me.

“So, 2010 will be my last year in the Senate. I will continue to work hard for the best interests of our state and country during this coming year. We need to get the economic engine restarted and put people back to work. We need to reform our financial system to make sure that which happened to cause this deep recession will not happen again. And we need to get our fiscal and budget policies under control. The federal budget deficits are not sustainable.

“But even as we face all of these difficult issues, I am convinced that our country will rise to the challenge.

“We are a great nation. And I have a deep sense of optimism about the future of our country.”

soundoff(84 Responses)

will he be a lobbyist or get wealthier off of healthcare investments and kickbacks.

January 6, 2010 01:00 am at 1:00 am |

Fed Up Voter

Good riddance of another career politician. In your thirty years the country has gone to crap, congratulations.

January 6, 2010 01:09 am at 1:09 am |

Brian

Dorgan, Burris, and as of tomorrow Dodd is not running for re-election. Maybe they are finally beginning to see that the people don't want them back anyway.

January 6, 2010 01:18 am at 1:18 am |

libs are funny little critters

You and Dodd have a lot in common, Hey? Dodd and uhbumba should be indicted immediately.

January 6, 2010 01:23 am at 1:23 am |

K Ols

It pains me to hear of Senator Dorgan leaving because he is by far one of our best senators. I would have been proud to have him as the senator from my state instead of what my state is stuck with.

I consider Byron Dorgan one senator who truly does represent the interests of we the people instead of corporations and their lobbyists. It was Byron Dorgan who tried to pass legislation allowing us to import prescription drugs so we could enjoy the prices other industrialized nations have. McCain was a co-sponsor of this bill so it was bipartisan but the senate recently voted it down as an amendment to the health care reform bill.

It was also Senator Dorgan who tried to put a stop to offshoring to save American jobs and make corportions pay their fair share in taxes.

We won't see another senator like Dorgan in a very long time.

Best of luck to Senator Dorgan

January 6, 2010 01:28 am at 1:28 am |

Raj A

This seat will most certainly switch to the GOP. Particularly if the popular Governor Hoeven runs. Dorgan was in re-election trouble as indicated by the polls which explains his reasoning for stepping down.

January 6, 2010 01:33 am at 1:33 am |

WrongKindofChange

Sure he feels it's the right time...or is it that he realizes he won't win reelection?

January 6, 2010 01:45 am at 1:45 am |

jules sand-perkins

Senator Dorgan said one thing with which I disagree slightly: "we are a great nation."
I think that we were a great nation, and we may be again.
The nation where I was born in 1938 was, without doubt, a great nation, powerful and productive even in bad times.
We have become an unproductive nation, importing our functional automobiles, exporting jobs to countries whose cultures foster a stronger work ethic, and supporting many of our citizens on handouts. We are perceived by our enemies to be so weak and bowing in posture that they attack us within our borders without fear of reprisal.
When I a child, I felt secure because we were taught that no war had been brought here by other countries: such was our power.

"Hope?"
"Change?"
I hope to see my country CHANGE AGAIN and restore itself as a productive world power.